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Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly

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lost their X designation—the B-29 was<br />

the direct descendant of the XB-29—<br />

once they went into production.<br />

The same evolutionary forces<br />

prevailed to replicate a particular<br />

model’s positive traits and breed out<br />

excess drag and instability. The P-51A<br />

Mustang was a good plane; the P-51B<br />

and P-51C were great planes. After<br />

several rounds of refinement in the<br />

Langley wind tunnels, the Mustang<br />

achieved its apotheosis with the P-51D.<br />

Discoveries large and small contributed<br />

to the speed, maneuverability, and safety<br />

of the machine that symbolized the power<br />

and potential of an America that was<br />

ascending to a position of unparalleled<br />

global dominance. As the war<br />

approached its peak, every single<br />

American military airplane in production

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